The History of the Devils of Loudun, Volumes I-III: The Alleged Possession of the Ursuline Nuns, and the Trial and Execution of Urbain Grandier, Told by an Eye-witnessDes Niau
History
The History of the Devils of Loudun, Volumes I-III: The Alleged Possession of the Ursuline Nuns, and the Trial and Execution of Urbain Grandier, Told by an Eye-witness
Des Niau
Couvent des Ursulines (Loudun, France); Demoniac possession; Grandier, Urbain, 1590-1634
Father Vignier, Superior of the Oratory at La Rochelle, bears witness
in his Latin Narrative, that, having questioned Sister Elizabeth a
whole afternoon in Greek, she always replied correctly and obeyed him
in every particular.
The Bishop of Nimes commanded Sister Clara in Greek to raise veil and
to kiss the railings at a certain spot; she obeyed, and did many other
things he ordered, which caused the prelate to exclaim that one must be
an Atheist or lunatic not to believe in "possession."
Some doctors questioned them also as to the meaning of some Greek
technical terms, extremely difficult to explain, and only known to the
most learned men, and they clearly expressed the real signification of
the words.
Lastly, Grandier himself being confronted with them, his Bishop
invested him with the stole to exorcise the Mother Superior, who,
he declared, knew Latin; but he did not dare to question her or the
others in Greek, though they dared him to it; whereon he remained very
embarrassed.[8]
As to the Revelation of hidden matters or of events passing afar off,
proofs are still more abundant. We will only select a few of the most
remarkable.
M. Morin, Prior of St. Jacques de Thouars, having requested M. Morans,
Commissioner appointed by the Bishop of Poitiers to watch over the
possessed, and to assist in the trial of Grandier, to allow some sign
to be given proving _actual infernal possession_, whispered to M. de
Morans that he wished one of the possessed to bring him five rose
leaves. Sister Clara was then away in the refectory; M. de Morans
ordered, in his thoughts, the Demon who possessed her to obey the wish
of M. Morin, for the greater glory of God. Thereupon the Nun left the
refectory, and went into the garden, whence she brought first a pansy
and other plants, and presented them with roars of laughter, saying to
M. de Morans: "Is that what you wish, father? I am not a Devil, to
guess your thoughts."--To which he replied simply: "_Obedias_," obey.
She then returned to the garden, and after several repetitions of the
order, presented through the railings a little rose branch, on which
were six leaves. The Exorcist said to her: "_Obedias punctualiter sub
poenâ maledictionis_," obey to the letter under penalty of malediction;
she then plucked off one leaf, and offered the branch saying: "I see
you will only have five; the other was one too many." The Prior was so
convinced by what he saw, that he went out with tears in his eyes. An
official report of the fact was drawn up.
Madame de Laubardemontalse tried the same experiment, in order to
convince many sceptics who were present; and she was equally successful.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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